Little Sunshines Pre-School (Somercotes)

What is it like to attend this early years setting?

Children develop secure and trusting relationships with staff. To this end, children happily leave their parents at the door and eagerly explore the enticing activities on offer. Toddlers exclaim, 'Wow' as they enter the room and pre-school children focus for long periods of time on their chosen activity. Staff encourage children to do as much as possible for themselves. Pre-school children cut fruit in half, pour their drinks and wash their faces after snack time. Toddlers put leftovers in the bin, hang their coat on their peg and go to the toilet themselves. Staff show interest in children's achievements and constantly praise their efforts. Toddlers show pride as they receive a sticker for tasting a new fruit. Pre-school children excitedly show staff they have zipped up their coat for the first time. This helps develop children's self-esteem and confidence.

Toddlers use their imagination as they re-enact favourite stories. During a walk in the community, children pretend to swish through the long grass, squelch through the mud, and splash through the puddles as they go on a bear hunt. Staff extend children's interests in the fallen leaves they find. They talk to children about the different colours and shapes and help them to compare which leaves are wet and which are dry. Children learn how to be safe when staff remind them how to cross the road. Children recall that they need to listen and look for cars.

What does the early years setting do well and what does it need to do better?

• Parents are extremely positive about the care their children receive. They state their children's behaviour has improved, and they are making new friends and developing their communication skills. Parents feel that staff treat their children as unique individuals, which ensures their needs are met.
• Staff help children to become inquisitive learners. For example, they know when to interact with pre-school children to build on what they already know and can do. Staff step back, allowing children to build structures from colourful connecting shapes. Staff notice the structures are collapsing and pose thoughtful questions to encourage children to consider why this is. Toddlers experiment by mixing water and sand together. Staff join in and encourage children to feel the texture. Toddlers suggest it is mud for their cars to drive in.
• Managers and staff identify children with special educational needs and/or disabilities early. They work with parents and other professionals to create individual plans for children that are tailored to their needs and give them the best start. Staff establish effective strategies. The children are encouraged to gradually develop skills that move them forward in their development. This helps all children make good progress.
• The daily routines are generally well planned. However, some transitions such as after toddler lunchtime, are not well organised. On these occasions, staff do not give children clear messages about what is expected of them. This means that toddlers wander around aimlessly or play inappropriately as they are not sure what they should be doing. Learning is less effective at these times than at other times.
• Staff provide an abundance of activities to strengthen children's small muscles. This helps children to practise the skills they need for early writing. Children focus as they use tweezers to pick leaves out of jelly, make swirls in paint with forks and use cutters to make shapes in dough.
• Overall, group time supports children's language and communication development. Staff support pre-school children to develop confidence in sharing ideas with others. Children know that when they hold the soft toy, it is their time to talk. Staff gently support quieter children to share their thoughts. However, on occasion, children's learning is disrupted. For example, younger toddlers' song time is interrupted by high noise levels and by staff taking children back and forth to get coats. This disrupts children's learning and their ability to fully engage in the activity.
• Managers and staff work to enhance children's experiences. They take children to use the community facilities, which includes visits to the allotments and bowling green. They also provide access to the local park and swimming pool. These experiences enable children to have a wide range of opportunities, which supports their cultural capital.

What the setting must and should do next

The provider should:

• improve how transitions are arranged between activities in the daily routine, with particular reference to younger children, to ensure their learning needs are met at all times
• organise song time to ensure that younger children are able to fully engage and do not have their learning disrupted.